GUEST EDITORIAL: How Celebrities Maintain Their Beautiful Skin
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How Celebrities Maintain Their Beautiful Skin
by Kevin Gardner
Look at pictures of 100 different celebrities and they may all look different: weight, skin tone, age, gender, and style are all individual. However, there's one thing that almost every celebrity has in common. They all have good skin. If you've ever wondered how celebrities maintain their clear, glowing skin no matter the circumstances, read on for the answers.
High-Quality Ingredients
You won't find many celebrities who maintain their skin using cheap or questionable ingredients. Remember that high-quality is not synonymous with expensive. Some extremely expensive creams are full of mineral oil and petroleum jelly, making them akin to overpriced Vaseline. Instead of shopping by price, shop for ingredients and then find a skincare line with those ingredients in your price range, whether you're browsing on Amazon.com or exploring in-store options. Here are several high-quality, beneficial ingredients:
Hemp oil benefits for skin include its ability to calm inflammation and balance skin, stopping oily skin from overproducing oil while still providing deep moisture. Hemp is a natural antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal used to treat acne, psoriasis and eczema. Amazingly, this oil is a zero on the comedogenic scale, so it will never clog your pores.
Resveratrol is a polyphenol antioxidant sourced from grape skins and other berries. This ingredient is known for its ability to protect the skin from UV damage and slow the aging process. Like hemp, resveratrol is a great anti-inflammatory that can help reduce redness and swelling. It's also known for its brightening effect and the way it can even out your skin tone.
Acids in the form of skincare actives are still ingredients to seek out. From Vitamin A acids (retinoids) and Vitamin C to AHAs and BHAs, there are acids that can help even skin tone, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and prevent and treat breakouts. Christie Brinkley is one celebrity who claims her Dorian Gray status is due to exfoliation and these acids provide the safe chemical exfoliation you need.
Drink a Lot of Water
Besides using skincare with quality ingredients, there are things you can do all day to keep your skin looking like a celebrity's. The biggest thing is drinking plenty of water. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Bella Hadid and Rihanna all sing the praises of plenty of water. Water helps your skin maintain its elasticity, preventing fine lines and sagging. More water also keeps your skin from getting clogged. It rinses toxins out of your pores instead of holding them like the speck of sand at the core of your own little face pearl.
Wear Sun Protection
Celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry are walking advertisements for the value of wearing SPF consistently from a young age. Others like Julianne Moore say their secret is staying out of the sun entirely. Whether you eschew the outdoor life or not, investing in a good sunscreen and a hat is imperative, especially if you use active ingredients like retinol or AHAs which make your skin especially sun-sensitive.
Even if your only encounter with the sun is through the car window, an SPF can prevent damage and the signs of aging. UV light causes inflammation and uses up the valuable vitamins that occur naturally in your skin. Regular exposure to the sun can actually slow your skin's ability to repair itself over the long term. In a 2013 study, L'Oreal found that up to 80% of the visible signs of aging were caused by exposure to the sun. The best defense is a good offense, so apply your sunscreen every day to prevent instead of treat.
Try Something New
Finally, actress Sofia Vergara encourages people to try new products. She claims, "when I hear anybody commenting that a product is good or beneficial, I buy it." While you don't need to try everything that comes to market, if you aren't happy with your current routine, try something new. Just remember to give it a few months to actually produce results. There are no overnight cures in the skincare game that don't involve invasive treatments.
These four tips can help you find your own movie-star glow.
